Turkish Giants Part Ways with High-Profile Coaches Over European Failures

Istanbul, Turkey – The demanding world of Turkish football has once again demonstrated its unforgiving nature, as two of Europe's most recognizable managerial figures, José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, have been relieved of their duties by their respective Turkish Süper Lig clubs. Both former Manchester United managers faced the axe following their teams' inability to secure berths in continental competitions, signaling a clear message from club hierarchies regarding performance expectations.

Mourinho's Fenerbahçe Tenure Ends Abruptly

José Mourinho, the decorated Portuguese coach, lasted just months at the helm of Fenerbahçe. Joining the Istanbul giants in June 2024 after his dismissal from Roma, Mourinho guided the team to a second-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig last season, 11 points behind champions Galatasaray. However, it was the failure on the European stage that ultimately sealed his fate.

Fenerbahçe's Champions League aspirations were dashed after a disheartening 1-0 aggregate loss to Benfica in the play-off round. This elimination, coupled with an earlier exit from the Turkish Cup quarter-finals and a Europa League Round of 16 defeat to Rangers on penalties, proved to be the final straw for the club's board. This marks a notable statistic for Mourinho, as it is the second club, after Tottenham, where he has not secured a major trophy since his move to Porto in 2002.

Adding to the tension, Mourinho had reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the club's transfer activity, stating prior to the decisive Benfica clash, "I don’t think the club made any extra effort to provide me with more opportunities for these two Benfica matches." His earlier prediction that the upcoming match was "just a match" from a career perspective, which he believed would not be affected, appears to have aged poorly in light of his subsequent dismissal.

Solskjær's Besiktas Journey Concludes Without European Qualification

In a parallel development, former Manchester United striker and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær also saw his time in Turkey come to an end. Appointed by Besiktas in January, Solskjær managed to lift the club from sixth to a respectable fourth-place finish last season, even securing notable victories against rivals Galatasaray and Mourinho's Fenerbahçe. However, the club's ultimate failure to qualify for European competitions this term became the deciding factor in his departure.

Besiktas's European journey was fraught with disappointment. After a heavy 6–2 aggregate defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League qualifiers, they dropped into the Conference League. Despite a narrow win against Irish side St. Patrick's Athletic, their European dream was extinguished by Swiss side FC Lausanne, a club notably owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, following a 2-1 aggregate loss (1-0 home defeat).

Besiktas chairman Serdal Adali announced the termination of Solskjær's contract, expressing gratitude for his services. Solskjær's tenure at Besiktas lasted approximately ten months, leaving the club to search for a new direction.